Controlling mechanism for automobiles.



H. E. GOFPIN. CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

- APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1906.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

3 BHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CLL, WASHINGTON. n. C.

H. E. COFFIN. CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES APPLICATION FILEDAUG. 4, 1906.

1,007,673, Patented N0.v.7, 1911.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W T NEEIELEEI- ,7 luymruq.

zzy -24 k% KW: m. i I

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH $0.. WASHlNflTN. D. c.

H. E. GOPFIN.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1906.

1 0 7, 7 I Patented Nov. '7, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

6/ 1 2 if 1 1 I E a I {D M/mwsaz INVENTDFL COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.IWASHINGTON, D. C.

UNrrn smarts Parana ornro HOWARD E. COFFIN, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN,ASSIGNOR TO E. R. THOMAS DETROIT CO., OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ACORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD E. CorrIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, county of \Vayne, State of Michigan, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Controlling Mechanisms forAutomobiles, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention has for its object certain new and useful improvements incontrolling mechanism for automobiles, and it consists of theconstruction, combination and arrangement of devices and applianceshereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view in plan showing features of my invention. Fig. 2 is aview in vertical section illustrative of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is another plan engines as employed in automobile construction,the opening and closing of the throttle and the advance and retardationof thetiming of ignition are necessary. Without regarding the questionas to whether or not an automatic governing device is fitted to themotor, it is of advantage, under all'conditions, to have a hand controlupon the carbureter and commutator which shall at all times beconvenient for the operator. In the control of the motor itself it isordinarily understood that the opening of the throttle should beattended by a corresponding advance in the timing of ignition. Twoseparate levers and two separate movements of the hand are ordinarilyemployed to accomplish a change in carbureter and ignition timing.

I have shown in the drawings submitted herewith various modifications bywhich my invention may be carried out and by which the desired resultsaimed at in my invention may be attained.

In the drawings a represents an ordinary steering rim engaged upon anysuitable Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 4, 1906.

Patented Nov. '7, 1911.

Serial No. 329,139.

steering post I) to actuate said post, and 0 represents the spidercarrying the rim, which may be of any desired construction.

A lever arm or casting is indicated at 01 so mounted at the axial centerof the steering wheel or rim as to be rotatable about said center, itsvarious positions being maintained by means of a segment 6. The arm d isprovided with a pawl indicated at r to engage the toothed segment 6 tohold the arm in any given location.

A tubular casing or shaft is indicated at f actuated by the lever arm dand connected by suitable mechanism at its lower end (not shown) to thethrottle valve of the carbureter. An inner rod or stafi is shown at 9connected at its lower extremity by any suitable mechanism (not shown)with the ordinary commutator or spark controlling device. Upon the outerend of the arm or casting (Z I provide a rotatable portion serving as ahand grip indicated at h, the same being rotatable upon its axis toactuate said staff. Through any suitable connection a rotatory motionimparted to the hand grip causes a desired movement of said rod or staff9 The movement of the lever arm (Z about its mounting upon the center ofthe steering wheel, will clearly impart to the said tubular shaft acorresponding rotation, said lever arm being rigidly engaged with saidshaft. As above observed, any suitable mechanism may be provided at thelower extremities of the shaft and stafl for transferring the movementsof the staff 9 and the tubular shaft f to the commutator and carbureter.The segment 6 is shown in Figs. 2 and 4: supported upon a stationarysleeve 2 as by means of connecting arms Z. The spider 0 is shown keyedat y upon the steering post 6. In Figs. 1 and 2 the hand grip h is shownprovided with a post m upon which the hand grip is rigidly engaged, saidpost provided with a pinion n meshing with a rack bar p, said rack barmeshing with a pinion 9 upon the rod or staff g. It will be evident thusthat when the hand grip h is partially rotated the staff 9 will becorrespondingly' rotated as already described. The pinion n, it will beevident may or may not be rotated when the operator grasps the hand griph to move the lever arm 03. Instead of the rack bar 6 being employedwith the pinions a and g meshing therewith, I have shown in Figs, 3 andt a link 8 connected with the post we of the hand grip and with theupper end of the stafi g. In this case the post we is formed with an armt and the staff 9 with an arm 10, the link 8 being connected with saidarms. In Fig. 4 I have also shown the hand grip h having a toothedengagement with the lever arm (Z as indicated at 4) so that the handgrip may be disengaged from the lever arm sufliciently to be partiallyrotated, a spring L0 normally holding the hand grip in engagement withthe lever arm.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown the generic principle of my inventioncarried out, as regards the operation of the staff 9 by means of thehand grip h, but in this modification of my invention instead ofrotating the rod or staff g, I have shown mechanism whereby said rod orstaff may be moved vertically. Accordingly in this modification, I haveshown. a lever indicated by the numeral 1 fulcrumed as at 2 to the leverarm (Z, the inner end of said lever having a movable engagement with thestaff 9 as by means of an elongated slot 3 engaging a pin a upon thestaff 9. The opposite end of the lever 1 may be actuated in various wayswithin the scope of my invention. In Fig. 6 the post we is shownprovided with a cam indicated at 5, with which the adjacent end of thelever 1 is in engagement. By this construction it will be evident thatwhen the post we is partially rotated the lever 1 will be actuated. Thehand grip h in this instance is shown also held in normal position bythe tension of a spring indicated at 6 bearing upon a collar 7contacting with an adjacent portion of the lever arm (Z. It is evidentthat the hand grip may be rotated independently of the movementbf thelever arm. Obviously, also, the hand grip can be rotated simultaneouslywith the lever arm (5 by a single hand of the operator.

It will be noted that with the construction described, either, or both,of the separate controlling devices can be actuated by a movement in asingle plane; that is, the operator, by grasping the rotatable handle,can swing the arm simultaneously, rotating the handle upon its axis,both movements being in the same plane. This greatly facilitates thecontrol, as the relative proper adjustment of the two separatecontrolling devices may be produced with greater ease than where saiddevices are actuated by separate members, or by the same member wherethe respective movements are in different planes.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a controlling mechanism for auto mobiles the combination of asteering post and its rim, a shaft to control the throttle valve of thecarbureter, an oscillatory lever arm to actuate said shaft, a staff toactuate the spark controlling device, and a hand grip carried on saidlever rotatable upon an upwardly extended axis to actuate said staff,said lever arm adapted to be actuated by the hand grip.

2. In a controlling mechanism for automobiles the combination of asteering post and its rim, a shaft to control the throttle valve of thecarbureter, an oscillatory lever arm to actuate said shaft, a staff toactuate the spark controlling device, and a hand grip carried upon saidlever rotatable upon an upwardly extended axis to actuate said staff,said lever arm adapted to be actuated by the hand grip, and means tohold the lever in a given position.

3. In a controlling mechanism for automobiles the combination of asteering post and its rim, a rotatable shaft to control the throttlevalve of the carbureter, an oscillatory lever arm to actuate said shaft,a staff to actuate the spark controlling device, a hand grip carriedupon said lever rotatable upon an upwardly extended axis to actuate saidstaff, said lever arm adapted to be actuated by the hand grip, a toothedsegment traversed by the lever arm, and means to engage the arm with thetoothed segment.

at. In a controlling mechanism for automobiles the combinationof asteering post and its rim, a device to control the throttle valve of thecarbureter, a device to actuate the spark controlling device, anoscillatory lever to actuate one of said controlling devices, and a handgrip carried upon said lever rotatable upon an upwardly extended axis toactuate the other of said controlling devices.

5. In a controlling mechanism for automobiles the combination of asteering post, a rotatable shaft to control the throttle valve of thecarburetor, an oscillatory lever arm to rotate said shaft, a rotatablestaff to actuate the spark controlling device, and a hand grip carriedupon said lever rotatable upon an upwardly extended axis to rotate saidstaff, said lever arm adapted to be actuated by the hand grip andmovable simultaneously therewith, and said hand grip rotatable upon itsaxis independently of the movement of the lever arm.

6. In a controlling mechanism for automobiles the combination of asteering post, a rotatable shaft to control the throttle valve of thecarbureter, a staff to actuate the spark controlling device, anoscillatory lever arm to actuate said shaft, and a hand grip rotatableupon an upwardly extended axis carried by the lever arm to actuate saidstaff, said lever arm and said hand grip movable simultaneously, and thehand grip being rotatable also independently of the lever arm at thewill of the operator.

7. The combination with two distinct controlling devices, of twoindependent devices respectively actuated by said controlling devices, arotatable steering stem, a member rotatable about the axis of said stem,and also about a horizontal eccentric axis, and mechanism operated bysaid rotations passing through said steering stem and respectivelyoperatively connected With said controlling devices.

8. The combination With a steering stem, of two separately movablemembers passing through said stem, a common actuating member rotatableabout the axis of the stem and about its own axis in the same plane, andconnections operated by said respective rotations for operating saidmovable members in the stem.

9. The combination with a steering stem,

of two separately movable members passing through said stem a commonactuating member rotatable about the axis of the stem and about its oWnaxis in the same plane, and connections operated by said respectiverotations for operating said movable members in the stem.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses;

HOWARD E. coFFIN.

Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, CHARLES F. HEYERMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,- byaddressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D, G.

